History

1986. Street protests against the first McDonald’s in Rome, out of which the Slow Food movement grew. Founding of Arcigola, Slow Food’s predecessor, in Piedmont, Italy.

1989. Slow Food International founded.

1999. Slow Food Minnesota founded and registered with Slow Food International by Ron Huff, who learned about the Slow Food movement when he was in Paris in 1989 and discovered its compatibility with his “personal commitment to bringing farmers, chefs, diners and the general public together in their food shopping, eating, and cooking habits.”

1999. First events: In April, a sausage making demonstration by Ron Huff; in September, a trip to northern Minnesota for the wild rice harvest.

2000. Slow Food USA founded.

2004. The first Terra Madre conference in Turin, Italy. Slow Food Minnesota began its tradition of subsidizing the airfare of several local farmer-delegates.

2007. In late August flooding devastated farms in Southeastern Minnesota. Working with Scott Pampuch, Slow Food Minnesota held an online auction that raised more than $13,000 to aid the victims.

2008. First Where the Wild Things Are spring foraging dinner.

2008. First food drive to benefit the Keystone Community Services foodshelf.

2010. Slow Food Minnesota begins a relationship with the Community Design Center’s East Side Garden Corps, a youth farm project.